Listen To Me
by EchoResonance
Summary: Can a kind, compassionate and loving girl reach into the heart of a boy who's never before known a friend? Can she teach him the most important thing that he'd been missing in people and pokemon?
1. Misguided but Well Meaning

"Oh, no," I breathed.

Reshiram and Zekrom were readying their attacks, huge chunks were falling from the ceiling, and N was lying unconscious in the middle of the hall. Right in between the two hostile creatures.

I may not have liked all of N's ideals. I might not have approved of his methods. I may not have liked that he was the leader of Team Plasma or that his father was one of the Seven Sages. But he was still human. He had kind intentions toward Pokémon. He'd been raised in a cold, analytical environment without any real human companionship; he didn't know humans like he knew Pokémon.

"Reshiram! Stop!" I cried.

But it was too late. The two Pokémon let out ferocious roars that shook the building. Their attacks were charged and about to be let loose. In the precious seconds before the attacks collided right on top of N, I leapt out, intent on dragging him out of the way. Pokémon could survived these kind of assaults; people couldn't. I meant to haul him away, but he was heavy. I only managed to drag him a few feet before my straining arms gave up.

"No, no, no," I muttered, looking up to see the dragons' mouths gaping, glowing with fire and electricity. I looked back down at N.

I could leave him. I could still leap out of the way of the attacks, and live. I could win, Zekrom would be free, and Team Plasma would disband. If I left N there. But I couldn't do that, could I? Leave him to his death? That was the equivalent of murder. And I was not a murderer. So I did the only thing I could do. I threw myself on top of N, tucking his body beneath mine to shield him. After all, what better way to die, than by saving someone else's life? Maybe, after I was gone, N would realize what he was doing was wrong and stop. Not likely, but that thought, and my last-ditch attempt at being noble, was the only thing that kept me hunched over him as the creatures let out their most fearsome snarls yet and allowed their power to burst forth. I braced myself, gritting my teeth.

But all the tensing up in the world couldn't have prepared me for just how excruciating it would be. An agonizing, burning pain exploded over my back, scorching my clothes to nothing in milliseconds and charring my skin. Then there was such a huge electric shock that I was frozen; paralyzed. But I could still scream, and scream I did. I shrieked in agony, a long, harsh cry that echoed through the hall even over the sound of roaring flame and crackling lightning. The pain was exquisite, all-encompassing, and inescapable. So lost was I in the searing pain that I didn't hear the soft whooshing sound that accompanied the opening of a poke ball. I didn't realize that my Pokémon had broken free of their carriers. Not until the source of that snarling, furious pain vanished. My back was still eaten by pain, by blazing, white-hot hurt, but no longer was there that thing making it worse. That was when I became aware that my poke balls were hanging, open, from my belt, and that something thick and warm was wrapped around me. Several other "somethings" were crouched over me, rubbing slightly against my mangled back. I blinked, trying to see which of my friends had broken free of their poke balls to help me, but my vision was dark and foggy. Dimly I was aware that the roar of the dragons was gone, that their attacks must have ceased.

I was breathing hard. My limbs were shaking so violently that it was a wonder they still held me up. I reached out blindly, fingers brushing something soft and velvety. An antler. I wrapped my hand around it.

"S-Sawsbuck," I coughed. A soft, warm nose nuzzled my neck, followed by a quiet chuff that blew some hair out of my face. "Help me up."

He obliged, gently tugging his head up until I managed to rise on shaky legs and wrap my arm around his neck. I felt a very slight weight on my shoulder and blinked furiously, trying to clear my vision. Slowly, the world came into focus, and I saw a little red-and-gold impish creature perched near my neck.

"Victini," I acknowledged, smiling. The big-hearted Pokémon licked my check concernedly. Looking around, I saw that all of my Pokémon had some out to shield me. Serperior had been the one to wrap around me, and was now slumped on the ground, unconscious. Apparently Victini had been crouched over my neck, and Sawsbuck had been crouching over me. Darmanitan stood a little ways away with Zorua on her shoulder; I think those two had been using detect over all of us. My poor Purrloin was slumped over Serperior's body, having fainted as well. And Reshiram was now watching me, eyes dark and guilty.

I looked down at N. He was still laying on the ground, but he was stirring feebly. Looking back to the brother dragons, I staggered between them, Stantler beside me as my brace. I knew without looking down that my clothes were hanging onto me by threads, more like rags than anything.

"Look at yourselves!" I shouted to them. Darmanitan lumbered to my side, and I rested a hand on the shoulder that also served as a perch; Zorua licked my hand. "You two are _brothers_! Two parts of the same whole, literally!"

They shared a look.

"Everybody has differences. Yours led to breaking into two separate beings. But that doesn't mean that you have to continue to fight! Stop this. You're hurting everybody with your foolish feud, even yourselves. Please," I whispered, eyes stinging from a combination of acrid smoke and my own tears. "Please, stop this."

Zekrom cast a look at N. I followed his gaze, and found the young man already sitting up, watching me intently with an indescribable expression. Serperior had come to, and was slithering to me, Purrloin still sprawled over her back. The edges of my vision were starting to blur; I gripped a handful of Sawsbuck's thick ochre neck fur to hold myself upright.

"N, Zekrom's waiting for you," I said softly. The room had gone deathly quiet. "Please, be smart. Be reasonable. Tell him it's okay to stop."

He blinked rapidly and looked at my scorched Pokémon.

"Y—You commanded your Pokémon to guard me," he mumbled, then said, more strongly, "You forced them to take the attack!"

"No!" I shouted, exasperated. "They were in their poke balls, N! You were unconscious in the middle of the hall, about to be hit by their attacks," I gestured to Zekrom and Reshiram, "And I tried to pull you out of the way, but you were too heavy. So I threw myself over you. _I_ blocked the attack. They came out _on their own_ when I screamed to _protect me_. I never asked them to! They could've died—I would _never_ have asked them to do that!"

By then tears of frustration were streaming down my grimy face, making my vision even more blurry. N blinked and looked at me, confused.

"_You_ shielded me?" He said it with a strange expression, as though the words tasted funny in his mouth.

"_Yes_."

Slowly he rose to his feet.

"Why?"

I sighed, digging my fingers deeper into Sawsbuck's fur to steady myself on my wobbly knees.

"Because all life is important," I answered.

"But you don't like me."

"I don't have to like you," I replied. "But you believe that what you're doing is right. You have kind intentions, and you care about…about Pokémon." My consciousness was starting to slip. "And I wasn't about to let someone get killed in front of me."

Black spots were popping in my vision, but I had to hold on a little longer. I had to convince N to release Zekrom from his bloodlust.

"N, please. Tell him it's okay to stop fighting."

My Pokémon, seemingly sensing that something was wrong, crowded closer around me. Victini licked my cheek again. But I wasn't going out yet. My gaze was fixed on that green-haired teen's emotionless face. His steely green gaze flickered from me, to Zekrom, and back, the first sparks of indecision flaring in his eyes.

"Please N," I whispered, clutching Sawsbuck for all it was worth. "They don't need to hurt each other anymore. This has gone too far."

He gave me a long look, and held out Zekrom's poke ball in front of him. His gaze never wavered from mine as he slowly, oh so slowly, crushed the ball in his hand. The contraption sparked and smoked. I smiled tiredly, feeling tears of relief now well up in my eyes.

"Thank you."

He nodded just as my knees finally gave out. Victini cried out in alarm, and Sawsbuck snorted when I slid down his side to the ground.

"Touko!" N exclaimed in alarm, clearly startled. He sprinted to my side even as I slumped completely against the cold stone ground. He started to say something, but cut himself off abruptly when he saw the condition of my back. With a feather-light touch that still made me cringe, he brushed a hand across the burned and bleeding skin.

"You really did save me," he murmured.

"Told you," I mumbled.

Darmanitan growled and Victini bared his teeth when N touched me.

"No, guys. It's…okay," I said softly. Serperior nuzzled my hand.

I couldn't see anything anymore; it was only blackness. I could only feel the biting, stabbing pain and hear the worried sounds of my Pokémon.

"Touko?" N said. "Touko, stay awake. I can help you."

"Tired…" I muttered. "Hurt…"

"Touko!" he said firmly. "Stay _awake_."

But I couldn't.


	2. A Big Difference

When I woke up, the first thing I realized was the I wasn't in a place I recognized. Looking around, I saw that I was in a large room with walls that were painted a dark shade of burgundy. I was on a squashy, comfortable four-poster bed, beneath a very thick, red-and-gold comforter that was embroidered with intricate designs of Pokémon and nature scenes. The bed was mahogany, and the curtains on it were a dark, burnt gold color. One wall was, if I had to guess, a huge window, because more dark gold drapes were drawn across it. A dark dresser, with intricate and elaborate pictures carved into the wood, stood beside the bed, and when I sat up, I could see the top of a matching chest at the foot of the bed.

There were two doors; one was open, leading to quite an opulent bathroom with marble floors and what looked like a jet tub. The other door, although it was closed, I would guess led to a hallway. It was all very beautiful, but…Where exactly was I?

"Vii!" cried a soft little voice from the pillow I'd been using. I turned around just in time to see the scarlet and yellow ball leap out at me.

"Victini!" I cried, hugging him tightly to my chest. He squeaked happily, and suddenly the floor around my bed was alive. Sawsbuck shot to his feet and thrust his nose into my face, chuffing affectionately. Darmanitan grunted and flung her arms around me, and Purrloin leapt onto my lap, purring wildly. Zorua snorted and nosed my hand. Serperior slid onto the bed and wrapped herself once around my torso, nuzzling my neck.

"Hey everyone!" I laughed. But Serperior rubbing along my back brought reality slamming back, and I flinched at the throbbing ache that covered my back. I groaned, and they immediately moved back. "It's alright," I assured them. "I'm just a little—argh—sore, that's all."

At that moment, I realized that I wasn't wearing my torn, ragged clothing that I last remembered. Instead I was wearing white silk pajamas, embroidered with red and orange flames on the sleeves and the sides of the legs.

"I thought they were fitting," said a soft voice from the once-closed doorway. I looked around so fast that I fell onto my side. N was leaning against the door frame, his hair, falling freely down almost to his waist. My own hair, I realized, was no longer in its signature ponytail either. In fact, I noticed with some chagrin, my hair tie was around N's slender wrist.

"You're finally awake," he noted, as if that wasn't perfectly obvious. I nodded anyway, and he entered that room, sitting beside me on the edge of the bed.

"Where am I?" I asked him.

"My home," he said simply. "I thought you would be comfortable in this room."

"Why didn't you take me to a hospital?"

He frowned. "Should I have? I treated you to the best of my ability here."

I snorted and shook my head. "Doesn't really matter."

For a moment, we sat in a surprisingly comfortable silence.

"Your back was badly burned. It will leave permanent scars, even after my extensive treatments."

"Mm…" I replied noncommittally. Another pause.

"Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Save me. You could have let me die; that would have ended the battle between your friends and Team Plasma. That would have ensured that Pokémon remained with their trainers. So why did you not allow me to die?"

I smiled and shook my head, looking at my hands, folded in my lap. Zorua looked up at me curiously.

"I already told you this, N."

"I want to hear it again."

My smile grew wider.

"Because all life is precious, and even if I didn't agree with what you were doing, I understand that you really thought it would be best for everyone. You were doing the wrong thing, but for all the _right_ reasons. And besides, no one, not even a person from Team Plasma, deserves to die like that."

"But you were willing to," he said softly. I smiled softly, and a bit sadly, and looked up.

"I'll always be ready to die for a worthy cause."

He stared at me, his bright green eyes boring into mine.

"They really love you, you know," he said abruptly. "You Pokémon."

My grin stretched until I thought it might break my face as said Pokémon cuddled around me.

"I know. And I love them, too. That's what you didn't get in all the time you were carrying out your quest. Trainers and their Pokémon share a unique connection with each other. They have a one-of-a-kind bond. They care about each other."

"But there are those who abuse their Pokémon," N argued. "There are those who would treat them as slaves."

"Yes, there are. There will _always _be people like that. But tell me something; is that really any different than how your Team Plasma treated their Pokémon?"

He opened mouth, I'm sure to deny my question with utmost vehemence, but no words left his mouth, and after a moment he pressed his lips into a hard line.

"You see? In your attempts to stop that from happening, you were actually encouraging those who worked _with_ you to do just that. But N, those people are few and far in between. The only thing we can really do is not be one of them."

His expression was contemplative as he studied me. Slowly, gaze locked on mine, he reached forward and brushed a lock of my chocolate hair behind my ear. The response was instantaneous. I blushed, Serperior hissed, Zorua struck out with her tiny claws, Darmanitan growled, Victini bared his thorn-like teeth, Sawsbuck shoved him back, and Purrloin snarled, fur on end.

"They are also very protective of you, if you had not already noticed," he said unnecessarily, picking himself up off the floor.

I laughed. "Yeah, imagine that." Then, to my friends, "It's okay, everyone. He won't hurt me."

They didn't relax.

"They don't believe you," said N.

"Yeah, I got that. Listen guys, either you behave, or I put you back in your poke balls right now." I gestured to where they sat on the dresser.

They were instantly contrite. Zorua tugged at the edge of my sleeve and, looking down, the flame patterns reminded me of something else. I looked back up to N, who cautiously sat beside me again.

"Zekrom and Reshiram. What happened to them?"

N let out a long, slow breath.

"Zekrom fled the moment his poke ball was crushed. And Reshiram…Well, I'll show you."

He stood up and, with me following, strode to the heavy gold curtains on the wall. With a look at me he flung them open, and I squeaked in surprise. Reshiram, his giant white head and bright blue eyes, was already looking in the window; his huge head blocked everything that may have been behind him. When he saw me, he let out a roar of delight that must have shaken the whole building, and his cerulean eyes lit up like streetlights.

"You brought him here?" I gasped. N shook his head.

"No, he followed us. He's been right outside this window since we arrived, waiting for you to wake up." There was a curious note to N's voice that made me turn around. He was frowning slightly at Reshiram.

"What's wrong, N?"

"Why?"

Huh?

"Why what?"

He looked back at me, and his eyes were dark and stormy. They also shone brightly.

Why did Zekrom, who I'd caught, flee the moment he'd been released, when Reshiram, who had never seen a poke ball in your hand with his name on it, not only stuck around but _followed_ you for miles and waited days just to see you open your eyes? _Why_?"

And then something completely and utterly astounding happened. A single, glistening, crystal-like tear slid slowly down his cheek.

"Why did Reshiram stay for you, but Zekrom didn't stay for me?"

I blinked, startled, and reached out to brush that tear away. He flinched when I touched him, and I frowned, but I didn't pull back until that tear was gone.

"Maybe…Maybe because I didn't search for Reshiram. He awoke for me, without my even wanting it. You tried and tried to awaken Zekrom, tried to prove yourself worthy of him, and when at last you succeeded, you captured and kept him in a poke ball. Legendary Pokémon should be free; they should never see the inside of a poke ball. I understood that. Reshiram didn't listen to me because I was his trainer. He listened because he wanted to; because he simply _believed_ in me. Zekrom, if I had to guess, listened to you because, as his trainer, he felt obligated to, and it meant a rematch with his brother. There was no true bond there. _You_ chose _Zekrom_. _Reshiram _chose _me_. That can make all the difference," I said gently.

"But he awakened for me," N protested. "Surely that meant he sensed _something_ about me?"

I smiled and put my hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sure he sensed your strength and determination. I never said he didn't respect you, N, but respect and love, while they walk hand in hand, are still two very different things."

"How could Reshiram love you, though? You've barely met him."

"I love all the Pokémon I meet. And I carried him around for a long while as that stone first," I reminded him. "He was there while I cared for my Pokémon; while I bonded with my friends. I've always shown my friends love, and Reshiram was there to witness it all long before he was completely awakened."

The long, searching look he gave me lasted only as long as it took for Reshiram to get impatient and let out another roar. N blinked and gave a small, reserved smile.

"Would you like to see your friend?" he said slowly, as if testing how the words fit into his mouth, or just trying out strange new words. Which, I suppose, he actually was.

I nodded, smiling. "But first, do you have any other clothes that would fit me? I'd rather not run around outside in white silk pajamas."

He dipped his head.

"Of course. You'll find everything you need in that dresser."

He back out of the room before I could thank him.

Darmanitan walked over to the dresser and pulled the top drawer open. What she pulled out made my jaw hit the floor. A knee-length, bright white sweater dress that faded to a pure, crystalline blue at the hem. The sleeves were long and tight, also blurring into blue. It was very nice, but a little too fancy for me.

"Uhm…What else is there?" I asked, suddenly uneasy.


	3. A Lesson in Priority

_**Okay, so real quick, I've been getting some messages and reviews already about how some people really don't like how OOC N is, and I apologize completely; that's one of my pet peeves as well. But, I have to admit that I haven't seen the anime nor have I read the manga; I have the White game and I was inspired to write these by fan art from DeviantArt, so odds are they might not be perfectly in character. I'm very sorry about that**_

After scouring through the dresser and the chest, however, I was wearing that white sweater dress over sheer, lacy undergarments that were embarrassing to even _look_ at. I'd almost lost it when I'd found a super clingy, strapless crimson dress that would've reached maybe half way down my thighs.

I stuck with bare feet, just because I could, and walked out of the room into the hall. N wasn't there. The only other person was a maid doing housework.

"Um, excuse me?" I said hesitantly. She looked up and smiled.

"Down the hall, sliding glass doors on your left. The French design; you can't miss it," she said, pointing down the corridor.

"Thank you," I said, a little startled by her earnestness. She smiled and went back to vacuuming the rich brown carpet.

Following her simple directions, I found the way outside easily, and it was like stepping out into the Garden of Eden. Lush green grass, tall trees whose boughs were heavy with fruit, flowerbeds bursting with vibrant flowers of all shapes and sizes, varying from large, scarlet and trumpet-like to tiny, blue and star-shaped. Somewhere nearby, I heard a stream trickling over stones, singing a disjointed but nevertheless pretty song. The air was thick and heavy with the sweet and sharp scents of all the plant life.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" N asked.

I spun around, startled. There he was, leaning against a tree. When he saw me, he blinked and took a convulsive swallow. Self-consciously I glanced down at the dress. Had I already gotten something on it somehow?

"Uhm…" I said awkwardly.

"That was my mother's dress," he said softly. I flushed with embarrassment.

"Oh, I—I'm sorry. I didn't know. I'll go chan—"

"No. No, it looks very nice on you," he said, recovering from his initial surprise. "You just caught me off guard."

I nodded, clasping my hands behind my back.

"We were gonna go find Reshiram?" I prompted when he did nothing but stare at me.

He blinked and shook his head as if to clear it. "Of course. Come with me."

N held out an arm and, after a moment of hesitation, I gingerly place my hand upon it. The tall boy led me along sun-warmed stone paths that wound through trees and around fragrant rose bushes, and at one point crossed the stream I had heard over a garden bridge. All the while he told me, in his cool and detached voice, what kinds of plants were planted here, where these particular Pokémon liked to nest, which flowers they liked to eat, and little things like that. If it hadn't been interesting, I would've said it was like a teacher's lecture. Finally, though, we broke out of the trees and I got my first good, unobstructed view of N's home. It was huge, with probably four stories, and a pearly, off-white color. The trim was intricate and delicate-looking. Most upstairs windows were slightly warped by graceful patterns that were engraved in the glass. Most of the windows on the ground floor were like the one in the room I'd woken up in—absolutely huge. I couldn't hold back a stunned gasp.

"You like it?"

"It's _amazing_!" I said in awed rapture.

But my admiration was cut short by yet another thunderous bellow, and the ground shook as Reshiram charged up the slight incline to greet us—me. He thrust his snout into me like a large puppy, and I had to grab onto him to keep myself from falling.

"Hey Reshiram!" I laughed. He let out a gravelly sound that, coming from a Glameow or Skitty, I would have called a purr. Behind me, I thought I heard N snort.

"He's saying that sleeping so long is not healthy."

"I long was I out big guy?" I laughed.

"Almost three days."

I spun around in shock.

"Three _days_?" I exclaimed. N nodded.

"You were hurt very badly. Your body was exhausted from trying to recuperate. It is not all that strange."

I turned back to Reshiram, stroking his warm nose.

"Sorry for making you worry," I murmured.

The noises like purrs magnified tenfold from his throat, and he nosed the bag hanging on my shoulder.

"What do you want, Reshiram?" I wondered, glancing into my bag. There wasn't much there. I'd called my Pokémon back into their poke balls and stuck them on my belt; that belt was now folded up in the bag. The only other things…in there…were…

"He—he wants you…He wants you to _capture _him?" N spluttered in clear disbelief.

I looked at the white dragon sharply. He watched me intently.

"Reshiram?" I said quietly. "Is he right?"

Reshiram dipped his head.

"You really want that?"

Again he dipped his head.

"But you're a legendary Pokémon. You're the only one of your kind. You don't really belong to any trainer. You don't belong in a poke ball."

He nudged the bag again.

I looked over at N; he was staring at Reshiram with an almost comical look of shock on his face.

"Why…" he choked. He'd been saying that a lot.

I looked back at Reshiram. "Would you just follow me if I refused to capture you?"

The dragon tilted his head to the side, then bowed it in what seemed to be his way of nodding.

I took a long, deep breath, blowing it slowly out my nose. Could I handle that responsibility? That power? I already knew how adept that kind of power could be at corrupting a person. Did I have the strength to use it wisely? The look in Reshiram's eyes told me that he had guessed my thoughts, and that he thought I was indeed strong enough to handle him. After all, I'd been the one to awaken him; that must mean that he had deemed me to be a worthy person; deemed me to be his Hero. He already believed in me.

I already knew what Cheren would say if I asked him; _Take the chance! It'll make you stronger!_ Even Bianca would be telling me to go for it. And Touya? I swallowed convulsively. Touya would tell me to do what felt right; I knew that's what he would do. What made me feel right. But…that didn't feel like enough. To do what my friends would tell me; the friends that would of course want me to take the opportunity to get stronger. So I turned to the only person I knew that would make an unbiased decision.

"N?" I said quietly. He started, as though I'd surprised him.

"Yes?"

"Do you think I should?"

He blinked.

"You're asking me?"

I almost smiled. "Yeah, I am. I believe that you won't make a biased argument. What do you think?"

He pressed his lips together into a hard line, and looked between Reshiram and me.

"I think…you should do what's best for Reshiram," he answered. "He meant what he said about following you, but…"

Do what's best for the Pokémon. So simple, and yet, I hadn't considered that. Maybe N was right, to an extent; maybe Pokémon trainers really did think of themselves over the Pokémon, because I certainly hadn't thought of that answer. But now that N had said it, it was obvious what I had to do.

"Reshiram," I said softly, turning back to the dragon. "I'm not going to capture you. That's not in your best interest; you're a legendary Pokémon. You're meant to be free, not trapped in a poke ball."

Reshiram snorted and spread his wings.

"You're not going to follow me, Reshiram. But I promise that I won't forget about you. I'll visit the Celestial Tower regularly, I promise. I'll see you then. But it isn't right to carry a Pokémon like you around with me."

He looked at me, head tilted slightly again, and slowly closed his wings, lowering his head til it nearly touched the ground.

"I'll still always consider you my friend," I added, stroking his nose again. Those purring noises started again.

"He said that sounds nice," said N. "He also called you his friend."

I smiled.

"Well, _friend_," I laughed, "I have one favor to ask."

I leaned in and whispered in his ear, holding back a big shit-eating grin. When I pulled back, Reshiram's blue eyes were bright with interest.

"Can you do that for me?"

He stretched his wings, and launched himself into the air by way of answer, gliding along an updraft til he'd disappeared.

"I'll take that as a yes," I laughed.

"What did you tell him to do?" N asked sharply, staring off in the direction the dragon had flown off. "What have you made him do?"

I sighed. _Here we go_.

"I didn't _make_ him do anything. I _asked_ him."

"Fine. What did you _ask_ him to do?" he said skeptically.

I smirked. "You'll see soon enough."


	4. A Heart Stopping Gamble

Less than ten minutes later, I heard Reshiram's returning cry, and grinned hugely. Another bellow followed Reshiram's, different but familiar. Behind me, N sucked in a sharp breath as two Pokémon appeared in the sky, rapidly approaching.

"T-Touko!" N gasped. "D-did you…"

"I thought you might have wanted to tell Zekrom goodbye properly," I shrugged nonchalantly as the two dragons touched down with a loud crash. Reshiram stretched out his wings and shook his head like a Purloin shaking off water. Zekrom's big black head swiveled toward N; his scarlet eyes flashed.

"I—I…Zekrom?" N said hoarsely.

The lightning dragon bowed its head til it was level with our eyes. Slowly, like he was in a dream, N approached the legendary pokemon.

"Why did you leave, Zekrom?" he asked. "Why didn't you stay like your brother?"

It let out a gravelly grumble and nudged N's torso gently; the trainer put out a hand and placed it cautiously on the pokemon's forehead.

"What's he saying, N?" I asked softly, curious.

"The same thing that you said," he replied, and I was startled by how rough his voice sounded. "I awakened him, and he respected me. He believed that I was the hero of ideals. But, when he compared us to the two of you, he realized that we were missing something. We didn't share the kind of bond that you did; we didn't understand each other so perfectly."

I pretended not to notice how he rubbed his arm over his eyes before he turned to look at me, or how red his eyes looked. He gave a sad kind of smile.

"You were right, Touko," he chuckled thickly. "You were right from the very beginning. Of course Reshiram trusted you; of course he chose you. You knew the truth from the start. What kind of trainer am I, what kind of _person_, when I couldn't understand humans? All I understood was pokemon, and even then my perception was tainted. In the end, I could not even read pokemon as well as I claimed. My father was right. I am pathetic. A heartless freak."

I stared at him, eyes so wide I thought they would pop out of my skull. Without even thinking about it I stumbled forward to place a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"No, N," I whispered. "No, you're not pathetic. You're not heartless, or a freak."

"Yes, I am."

"No. You grew up in an environment that was incredibly lacking in human interaction. All you knew were injured, abused pokemon, and so you thought all pokemon were like that. You thought they all wanted to be free. You didn't understand any others, pokemon or human. That doesn't make you a freak. That just makes you human, capable of human mistakes like misunderstanding. It isn't your fault you were raised like that. You possess a human heart; the fact that you can identify the problem _proves_ that!"

"Then what _am_ I?" N wondered, staring into Zekrom's eyes. I looked at the pokemon as well, and he looked back at me. I had a feeling that what I was about to say was going to be said in unison, even if I didn't understand the other voice.

"You're you. Human, kind, compassionate. Misguided, maybe, but you're completely pure in your intentions. You're a brave guy, with the potential to be a great man. You have friends that would love to help you get there."

"All pokemon," he huffed, but I thought his eyes might be a little bright. I smiled.

"I'm not a pokemon, am I?"

He looked around at me, and I saw shock in his face. It was written all over him.

"Well…no…but…" he mumbled. "You're not…I mean, are you…"

"I'd like to be."

"W-why?"

I laughed.

"You've been saying that a lot."

"That's because I feel lost. A lot," he answered. I laughed again.

"Because, goof, you're a pretty cool guy, and you need someone to educate you on the real world."

"You really would?"

I flicked his forehead; he cringed back and covered it with both of his hands.

"Didn't I _just _say that?"

"Why's you flick me?" he demanded, and the injured look on his face was priceless.

"It's an act of endearment. Friends do little things like that all the time," I giggled. He tilted his head in contemplation, then reached out and flicked me back. I burst out laughing and pushed his hand away.

"See? You're catching on already!"

Slowly he lowered his hands from his face, green eyes on me. I smiled and held out a hand. N spent probably thirty seconds staring at it before he hesitantly took it in one of his and shook once.

"Sometimes," N said as he released my hand, "I have to wonder if you actually can talk to pokemon. You, Reshiram, and Zekrom all said the same exact same thing."

"You don't have to know their exact words to understand them," I informed him. He smiled.

"Clearly."

There was a moment of comfortable silence. Then, one of my poke balls burst open inside my bag and out came Serperior in a flash of bright white light. She pushed me away from N, hissing loudly and lashing her tail.

"Ser!" she growled. Following her came all of my pokemon; first Sawsbuck, then Zorua, then Darmanitan, and finally Liepard. They all piled up in front of me, creating a living wall between me and N. Zorua jumped up onto my shoulder, crouching against my neck.

"Guys!" I snapped. Reaching into my bag, I pulled out all of their poke balls. "I told you already to behave! He's not going to hurt us!"

N looked at all of us, frowning slightly. Zekrom grumbled, and Reshiram echoed him.

"They still consider me a threat," N sighed.

"You guys!" I shouted. I tried calling them back to their poke balls, but they avoided the light beams every time.

"They said they won't return to their poke balls unless you stop trying to make nice," N translated.

Yeah, I'd kind of already figured that. I swallowed convulsively, already having an idea of where this would have to go.

"Serperior," I said seriously. "You're my partner. You've been my partner since I started this journey. You chose my because you trusted me. Right?"

Serperior looked back at me and lowered her head a little, like a nod.

"You've fought by my side through all of our battles. You've always trusted me to make my own decisions. Well, I'm making one now. N isn't going to hurt us. You need to trust me now."

She tossed her head and hissed violently.

"No, Serperior!" I answered. "You have to trust me on this. Or, if you won't respect my choice…I'll have…I'll have to let you go. The same goes for all of you."

It was the biggest gamble of my life. On one hand, they were my best friends. We'd been through a lot together, and I wouldn't know what to do without them. But, if they couldn't trust me, or at least respect my decisions, could _I_ trust them when it came right down to it? Could I trust them not to make another choice that could jeopardize what I was trying to do? No, I couldn't.

N sucked in a sharp breath. All of my friends looked stunned. Sawsbuck looked at me as though he couldn't believe what I'd just said. Liepard tilted her head uncomprehendingly. Zorua fell off of my shoulder. Darmanitan fell onto her butt. And Serperior…she looked horrified. Frightened.

"If you guys can't learn to trust me, after all we've been through, then it isn't safe for any of us if I kept you with me. I still consider you my best friends, but that doesn't mean I won't release you."

"Ser…"

"Touko, don't." N was staring at me. "You don't have to give up your friends for me."

"No, N. It's not your decision. It isn't even about you at this point. If they can't trust me, how can I trust them?"

My eyes were locked on Serperior. She was watching me with wide blue eyes. I looked at her sadly and held out her poke ball.

For a moment, it was as though time stopped. My team held me under their stunned gazes. Then, together, they inched away from N and converged on my feet. Serperior nosed her poke ball. I smiled.

"Thank you, buddy," I said. She grumbled, but allowed herself to be pulled back into her carrier. The others followed suit, until I stood alone with N and the legendary dragons.

"Touko…" N murmured, and I turned to look at him. "Why would you do that?"

"Because, if they couldn't trust me, I couldn't count on them to listen to me when push came to shove."

"Thank you," he said softly. I smiled and nodded.

"This isn't going to be easy," I warned him. "You got yourself a reputation that isn't altogether complementary."

"Yeah…Yeah, I know," he answered. "But then, nothing ever is easy, is it?"

I nodded.

"Nothing worth anything."


	5. Time to Go

"It's beautiful here, N," I said, looking around at the opulent manor and the lovely grounds.

N smiled and absently petted my Zorua, which seemed to be the most flexible of my pokemon, as far as N was concerned. After meeting his Zoroark, she was much friendlier to him, although the same couldn't be said for my other pokemon.

In the three days that I had been out cold, a lot had happened. Apparently, just after I had passed out, Touya had rushed into the chamber, screaming obscenities at the top of his lungs when he found N holding my limp body. The Champion Alder followed him in, and he asked N some questions that were easy enough for him to answer. While they were questioning him, his father burst in. N had stood and moved to greet his father, but, in front of everyone, Ghetsis had denounced N as his son. He not only scolded N for his weakness, but scorned him, spurned him, publicly _humiliated_ him in front of everybody. He called his own son a heartless freak, a being entirely incapable of any real emotion. Of course, I didn't hear this from him. I heard it from one of the maids. Anthea, I think.

Ghetsis had been taken away by Alder and that Looker guy that I swear had been stalking me through Unova, leaving N shaken and me in desperate need of care. Reshiram had watched the entire thing passively, only moving to follow N when he lifted me in order to take me somewhere to be treated. Zekrom had long since flown away. N laid me on the back of a Braviary and, riding another one right beside it, led me to his old childhood home, against Touya's many objections.

The moment we had alighted on the grounds outside of the huge mansion, he had rushed me inside and begun working on my injured back. I had to be given two blood transfusions, and my entire torso was still heavily bandaged, I felt just fine now, apart from the sensitive, half-raw skin rubbing against the fabric of the bindings. But it had been a week since I woke up in that room, and I was getting restless. I had gotten ahold of more clothes like what I normally wore, but even though I was dressed as per usual for me, I already knew this wasn't where I was supposed to be. I was a Trainer of pokemon, and I needed to be out there in the real world, experiencing everything and capturing new pokemon.

And I missed Touya. I missed him horribly, and that kept me up most nights, until even N had noticed that I didn't look even remotely well.

"You are thinking," N commented.

I started, then gave a nervous laugh and shrugged.

"Yeah, I am. How'd you know?"

"You had a far away look on your face. And you did not answer my question."

I felt my face warm.

"Sorry. What was your question?"

He gave a small smile—which was, I think, the equivalent of one of my loud belly-laughs.

"I asked if you were happy here."

I pressed my lips together, considering the question. _Was _I happy here? Certainly, it was beautiful, and the food was amazing, and the beds were comfortable. The company wasn't bad, and I never had to clean up, not with the way that Anthea and Concordia were always on top of things. But I was itching to get back out to the real world. To see all of my friends, and family. To make new friends. See new places. I couldn't do that from here.

I sighed.

"Your home is amazing N, and yeah, I enjoy being here, but this isn't where I belong."

N frowned and straightened out of his relaxed posture.

"But if you are happy, what is to say that you do not belong here?"

I almost smiled at his formal way of speaking.

"This isn't a lifestyle I could ever be accustomed to. I belong out in the world. I want adventure and action. I want—no, I _need_ to meet new people, new pokemon. I need pokemon battles, and I need my friends and family. I can't live this laid-back lifestyle. Plus," I added with a small grin. "I can't very well teach you about the world from the comfort of your own living room."

N's frown deepened, a little 'v' appearing between his eyebrows.

"I do not see why not."

My own smile widened.

"It wouldn't sink in. You have to experience it before you could ever understand it. I'm not demanding that you come with me, but I would ask that you allow me to leave in peace. I told you I would be your friend, and I'd teach you everything I could, but I can't force you to do anything."

He opened his mouth, I'm sure to argue, and I cut him off.

"Make no mistake, I have to leave, N. Maybe not immediately, but soon. And I will leave, whether because you let me, or if I have to fight my way out."

"You are not a prisoner, Touko," he said, and I swear his voice was injured. His expression certainly reflected something along those lines. "Of course I would not force you to stay. I was only going to ask when you wished for us to go."

I stared at him for a long minute, my blue gaze locked onto his, but he didn't so much as twitch, or give any sign that he was fooling around. I laughed outright at that, falling back in the soft green grass.

"What did I say that was funny?"

"It's just…after months…" I snickered. "Of you being…an insufferable pain in my butt…you're so…_agreeable_!"

He tilted his head.

"Is that strange?"

I snorted, controlling my laughter by degrees.

"Just a…pretty abrupt character…shift, if you know…what I mean."

He frowned slightly, and I shook my head, finally able to breathe again.

"Never mind. So, you're alright with heading out?"

N nodded without hesitation.

"How long would it take you to get ready?" I asked. "You already know how to pack and travel."

"I could be ready in a few hours," he answered.

There was an eager glint to his eyes that reminded me forcibly of Touya the day we began our pokemon adventure together. I shook my head inwardly to dispel the thought. I was going to see Touya soon. Very soon, and I would convince him that N was no real threat. Somehow. Maybe.

"Alright then, get to packing," I said with a grin, and made a shooing motion with my hands.

N leapt to his feet, sending Zorua leaping into my lap with a snarl of indignation, and sprinted for the house. I laughed and lifted Zorua onto my shoulder.

"Come on guys!" I called to my pokemon, who were sprawled out on the ground nearby. "We're leaving!"

Immediately they converged over me, nearly knocking me over in their delight.

"N's coming with us," I warned. The all let out a simultaneous noise that sounded suspiciously like a sigh, but they continued to chitter excitedly, so I didn't think they were too put out.

"Now let's go pack, before he's finished and has the nerve to start nagging us."

They followed me inside, down the hall to the room I was staying in. I had a new bag, with fresh supplies—everything that I had had with me during our battle had been either used or destroyed—and all I had to do was load a couple extra pairs of clothing, and I was actually good to go. I would need to stop by a Pokemart and restock on Super Potions and Full Heals, but I had plenty of poke balls, and I could pick some berries from the grounds on our way out to last until then. I'd spotted Oran berries and Lum berries, and they'd hold up.

That being said, I was as ready as I was going to be. I sat on the bed and looked out through the huge window onto the spectacular view of the rolling green hills in the background and the bright, vibrantly colored blossoms. Taking N with me would have its consequences, I was sure, but that boy needed someone. Someone to guide him and teach him, and as his father had proved lax in that area, I was his only option.

Let the repercussions come; I wouldn't abandon the boy to his misguided ideas. He needed to be taught, and he needed a human friend. I was determined to step in on both accounts.


	6. What I'm Best At

"Touya!" I cried happily.

I flung my bag to the ground and ran, leaping into his arms and hugging him tightly. He laughed loudly and clutched me to him with all his strength—which was rather a lot.

"Touko!" he answered, voice relieved. "You're alright! I've been so worried about you, when N stole you away. I tried to follow you two, but…I…"

I looked up at him. His gaze was fixed on a point past me, in the direction I had come from. I glanced over my shoulder and grimaced. N stood by my discarded bag, hands clasped behind him timidly, as though he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. One of his feet scuffed the wood of the Pier.

We were in Castelia City, after going home and learning that Touya was heading there to catch a ship that would take him to different regions. We'd caught him right on the Pier.

"Touko," he said in a forcibly controlled tone of voice. "What is N doing here standing by your backpack?"

I took a step back; his hands fell from my waist without resistance. A slow, deep breath was pulled into my lungs through pursed lips.

"Touya, I need to talk to you, and I need you to be reasonable when I do."

"Sure," he said tightly. "Ditch green-head and I will. I've got a spare ticket for the ship; come with me and you can talk all you want on our way to Almia."

"Touya—"

"If it's to defend that creep, Touko, I don't want to hear it. He caused us a world of trouble and nearly got you killed, not to mention he kidnapped you and no one had any idea where you were. So no, I'm not going to look leniently on him, whatever you say."

I sighed and opened my mouth to speak when another voice shouted my name.

"Touko!"

I turned just in time to see a blonde girl in a large green hat before she barreled into me with the force of a speeding Bouffalant.

"Bianca!" I greeted her, wrapping my arms around her torso in a return of her powerful embrace.

"Hey Bianca," said Touya warmly. "Just in time. They're about to call first boarding."

Bianca released me with a last squeeze and turned to Touya.

"Actually, Touya, I was just gonna come and give you my ticket. I'm not going."

Our childhood friend frowned.

"Why not?"

Bianca shrugged, but I thought her cheeks might have darkened a shade or two.

"Well, my family still needs me back home…"

She definitely flushed a dark pink at Touya's loud laughter.

"Daddy said no, huh?" he chortled.

"Shut up!" Bianca fumed, sticking her tongue out.

"Sorry, Bianca," said the obnoxious boy, not sounding sorry at all.

"Whatever," she grumbled. She stuck her ticket into his hand, gave me another hug, then took off back toward the city. Touya looked down at his hand and groaned.

"Great, now I have _two_ spare tickets. What am I going to do with these?"

I raised my eyebrow and, glancing back again, gestured for N to come up. He did, picking up my abandoned bag on his way. In height, N had several inches on Touya, and had a lean but lightly muscled frame. His features were angular, giving him more of a classic look, and definitely making him look older than my other friend. His unruly green hair was once more tied back at the nape of his neck, with stray bits falling out. Next to Touya, he looked far more intimidating. And yet, next to Touya, he looked extremely anxious, and maybe intimidated. Why he looked like that, when he'd only ever shown defiance and confidence before, was anyone's guess, but now was definitely not the time to ask.

Touya's chocolate brown eyes widened in disbelief, and he shook his head furiously.

"No, Touko," he said. "No way. This guy had caused too many problems for everyone, Touko. You especially. Why do you—"

"Touya, please, just give us the tickets and we'll talk about this on board. He won't be any trouble, I promise."

"You can't promise that, T, because he already has been trouble," Touya snapped.

"_First call for those boarding the ship on the poke-earth tour. Ticket lines are now open."_

"Touya, do you trust me?" I demanded.

He looked taken aback, but there was no hesitation in his reply.

"Of course I trust you, Touko. It's him I don't trust."

I took his hands in both of mine and held them up in the most pleading gesture I was capable of, short of groveling on my knees.

"Then please, _please_, trust me now. I swear to you that he won't cause any harm, and if he does, then I'll accept full responsibility. Please, Touya, give him the spare ticket. I owe him something."

"You don't owe him jack," Touya answered, but heaved a huge sigh. "Alright, Touko, fine. I'll play along, and trust that you know what you're saying. I don't trust him, but I'll believe that if nothing else you'll keep him in check."

N looked slightly miffed at being talked about as though he wasn't even there, or else because he was being written off so easily as a person that had to be kept _"in check"_, as Touya so tactfully said.

With a far from friendly look, Touya held out Bianca's ticket to N, who cautiously accepted it and stared at it like it was some mysterious, miraculous object. I hid a grin and took them both by their elbows, towing them toward the end of the boarding lines.

"This is gonna be awesome," I said in an attempt to diffuse the tension I felt radiating off of Touya, and even a little bit from N.

Touya grumbled something under his breath, something that sounded suspiciously like _"When Swinub can fly"_, and I gave a heavy sigh. This was going to take some major work. Good think I was the hard worker out of the three of us.

…

"Alright, Touko, what do you want to say, not that you stand a chance at convincing me of anything," Touya said when we were situated in our stateroom.

There were two twin beds on the floor, and then two more that could be pulled down from the ceiling. N sat on one of those now, his feet dangling down about a yard to my left. Touya sat on his own bed across the tiny room, elbows on his knees, eyes on mine.

"Touya, I want to ask you not to judge N too harshly for what's been going on over the past couple of years."

He snorted, but didn't comment.

"It's not really his fault—he can't help the way he was raised. If anyone's to blame, it's Ghetsis, for bringing up his only son with the intent of using the boy simply as a tool. That's how N was raised, Touya, and he can't help that. All I want is—"

"To help him," finished Touya in a resigned voice. "I know you too well, Touko. Always so quick to believe the best in everyone, always so willing and ready to help people. It's your greatest strength. It's also your greatest weakness."

In response to my indignant sputters, he sighed.

"It's already almost gotten you killed, when you shielded that moron from your own Pokémon's attacks. I believe you when you say that it isn't his fault. You're right; he can't help how he was brought up. But his father's influence has been branded on him, and it's been ingrained in his system. It's too late to do anything about that now. What are you hoping to accomplish?"

I stared at Touya, my resolve hardening to steel.

"I'm going to do what no one seems to believe possible. That's what I'm best at. I proved to him that not all Trainers are evil. I defeated all of the Unova Gym Leaders, and the Elite Four. I beat Ghetsis in battle. I reawakened the ancient dragon pokemon of truth, Reshiram. I defeated N. No one thought that half of those things were possible. Certainly not for me, a small, scrawny girl from a small town. And now I am going to prove you wrong, Touya, because I know he _can_ be helped. It's never too late, Touya. Not ever. And it most certainly isn't for him."

"Why do you think you can do anything?"

I smiled.

"Because I have faith."


	7. Almia Folklore

"Wow!" I exclaimed, leaping off of the gangplank. "Pueltown! And look up at that—is that Altru Tower?"

Touya and N followed me onto the first solid ground we'd seen in weeks. Almia wasn't the farthest region from Unova, but it wasn't quite the closest one either. On the way, I'd done my best to get Touya to warm up to N a little bit, and it really seemed that he was willing to give the guy a chance, provided that I didn't push it too far. In between those sessions, I read up about Almia.

It seemed that, while we were fighting our battle against Team Plasma, the Almia region's Pokémon Rangers had been busy fighting their own battle. An organization known as the Pokémon Pinchers had been using technology known as Gigaremo to steal Pokémon all over the region, using Dark Shards that exuded a mysterious power that hypnotized and controlled Pokémon . The shards were from a single, massive crystal, called the Shadow Crystal, which was guarded by the nightmare Pokémon Darkrai. The leader of the Pokémon Pinchers, who turned out to be the president of Altru Inc, Mr. Blake Hall, had taken the Shadow Crystal from its resting place deep in the Chroma Highlands, and captured Darkrai. His intent was to set the Crystal atop the Altru Tower, and send the signal out over the entire region to gain control of all Pokémon . The Tower was one huge Gigaremo. He was going to use Darkrai as his personal bodyguard, basically, and once more allow the Pokémon to protect the Shadow Crystal. But his plan backfired. Darkrai was way too strong to be controlled, even by that monstrous machine, and he and his assistant Wheeler had been sent into a Nightmare Realm by the Pokémon . Darkrai had then turned on the one Pokémon Ranger that had made it to the top of the Tower.

While that Ranger fought the battle to befriend Darkrai, three others were in the air on Staraptor. Each had a gem; the Yellow Gem that came from the Haruba Desert, the Blue Gem from Almia Castle in Hia Valley, and the Red Gem from Boyle Volcano. Alright, let me explain. These gems were straight out of the region's mythology. There was once a King of Almia, who ruled over the region with goodwill and kindness from Almia Castle in Hia Valley. He had three sons. One was clad in blue, another in yellow, and the last in red. For a long time, the family lived harmoniously. But soon, the Princes began fighting amongst themselves, until finally the King was forced to send them away. The Yellow Prince he sent to the Haruba Desert. The Red Prince was exiled to Boyle Volcano. The Blue Prince was allowed to stay. The gems are called the Tears of Princes, because they were said to have been created from the sorrow of the Princes at being exiled. The King's rule continued, but he was weighed down with sorrow, with a darkness in his heart from having to separate his sons. It was from the darkness in his own heart that the Shadow Crystal came into being.

Only the Tears of Princes had the power to counteract the incredible power of the Shadow Crystal, so the Rangers had set out in search of them after a huge fluke that proved the gems to be real. Two operators, Lisa and Rythmi, as well as an assistant named Murph, each had a pendant made from shards of one of the Tears of Princes, and they reacted to a Dark Shard sample that had been under observation.

So, the Rangers acquired the three gems, and they were ready to bring them into contact with the Shadow Crystal, but Darkrai had cloaked the Tower in his darkness, making it impossible to safely get close. It was up to the last Ranger, the one that had fought her way to the top. All she had was a styler and a few Pokémon with her. Her Fine Styler, which was standard for any Pokémon Ranger, had been upgraded. The Tears of Princes shards had been embedded into it, and when it came to the very end, the light from the gems had reacted to the shards, powering up her Styler and giving her the ability to reach Darkrai.

And when the darkness cleared, Blake Hall and his assistant had been returned by Darkrai, and the Ranger was named a hero. The Tears of Princes were floating, quite of their own accord, around the Shadow Crystal, which had turned clear, and Darkrai was allowed to remain there as the protector of his Crystal.

This was known as Operation Brighton, after the second president of Altru Inc, and Blake's father. The man had encountered the Shadow Crystal when Blake was just a child, then named Wyatt. He kept a journal, which had been found by a Top Ranger and taken to Ranger HQ for analysis. He changed his son's name to Blake before the Shadow Crystal, the power of the stone reaching and twisting his heart and mind. His company was experiencing financial difficulties, and he thought the Shadow Crystal was his answer for a new energy source. The power of the Crystal corrupted his son, who drove him out of the company. It was in his journal that the Rangers read about the Tears of Princes, and it was due to him that they were able to win the day.

And now we were here, and I was beyond excited to see all of these sites myself.

"Alright, where to first, Touko?" asked Touya. I could make out an excited gleam in his eyes that brought a grin to my face.

"Well, Altru Tower's the closest stop. From there, we could head around to the Chroma Highlands. The ruins are supposed to be incredible. What do you think, N?"

I turned to our third companion. He jumped, as if startled that I was referring to him. Then he gave a hesitant smile.

"I quite like the sound of that."

I smiled.

"Touya?"

"Sounds good to me," he agreed.

"Then let's do this!"

…

"Whoa…" I breathed in awe.

One of the employees at Altru, named Isaac, had brought us up to the top of Altru Tower. I stared in utter rapture at the huge, transparent Crystal that rested before us, the three brilliant, gleaming Tears of Princes hovering around it.

"The Yellow Gem was guarded by the dream Pokémon Cresselia," said Isaac. "The Red Gem was protected by Heatran. The Blue Gem, by Lucario. It was my one of my best friends, an old acquaintance from Ranger School, that defeated the Guardians and acquired the Gems."

"Really?" I asked.

He nodded.

"Yes. I'm sorry to say that it was my fault that this contraption was ever built. I designed the Tower, and its barriers, for the president of the incorporation. I didn't know his intentions. If I did, I would never have agreed to it. I thought it was a device that would help befriend Pokémon ; that would benefit everyone. I thought I was doing the right thing."

I glanced at N. This was a familiar story. His steely gaze was fixed on Isaac.

"Then my friend—the Ranger that defeated Darkrai—extracted me from where the Pinchers were working at Altru's abandoned oil field. She was with the Top Ranger Sven. They took me away, but not before they paid a visit to the man in charge. That man was my instructor in Ranger School, my favorite by far, and after school he took me to Altru and he gave me my job. He lied to me and used me because I was extremely intelligent, and I could do what the company needed. After hearing him admit this himself, I knew I'd been wrong."

My hand drifted to N's shoulder. He reached up with his own and squeezed it, but his eyes didn't leave Isaac. This man's story sounded very much like N's. N had been trained with a certain mindset. Used, neglected, and lied to, only to hear from the very man that he had trusted unequivocally that it had all been one huge lie, a play for power.

"I then did whatever I could to assist the Rangers in their attempts to stop Altru and the Pinchers. But when one of the Sinis Trio—they were the second in the chain of command, above my old instructor but below Blake—kidnapped my little sister, I was forced to leave with them. I had to finish the details on the Tower. I felt horribly guilty about everything that had happened because of me."

"It was not your fault."

These words came, not from me, not from Touya, but from N.

"It was not your fault," he repeated.

Isaac smiled.

"I understand that now. Everyone that mattered forgave me. They told me the same thing. And after trying to distance myself from the situation, I knew that they were right. It doesn't change anything that I did, but it sure makes it more bearable."

N nodded in complete understanding, and I felt a huge grin threaten to split my face.

"Touya," I said softly.

"Yeah," he responded. "I get it."

Sometimes, it took putting a stranger in the same situation as a person that you did know, and then meeting that stranger after the fact, that helped to enlighten a person. Isaac had made some bad decisions, leading to some very bad things, but he hadn't known that. He thought that what he was doing was good and right. He'd been used. But I could see Touya's respect for him. And N had been in much the same scenario.

_We made a good choice in coming to the Tower_, I thought with a smile.

I glanced up, just in time to see a dark form fly over us. It flew a quick loop around the Crystal, and then vanished.

Darkrai's job was to protect the Shadow Crystal, to keep anyone from getting close enough to be corrupted by it. Maybe, in a way, Darkrai was a healer as well. It seemed that the Pokémon was simply here to keep a balance, to make sure the darkness didn't overflow into people's hearts. And here, so close to the Shadow Crystal, but so close to Darkrai as well, I think N was finally able to heal a little from his father's influence. To realize that there was only so much that he could blame himself for, and that wasn't his fault.


End file.
